■ Mitch Mcconnell vowed “scorched earth” gridlock if Democrats changed filibuster rules.
‘Scorched earth’ if Senate Democrats change filibuster rules
WASHINGTON — Senate Republican leader Mitch Mcconnell warned Tuesday of a “scorched earth” landscape if Democrats use their new majority to bring an end to the Senate filibuster.
Mcconnell unleashed the forecast of a Senate that would all but cease to function, implying that Republicans would grind business to a halt by refusing to give consent for routine operations — from the start time for sessions, to the reading of long legislative texts, to quorum call votes.
“Let me say this very clearly for all 99 of my colleagues: Nobody serving in this chamber can even begin — can even begin to imagine — what a completely scorched earth Senate would look like,” Mcconnell said in a Senate speech.
Mcconnell said the partisan gridlock of the Trump and Obama eras would look like “child’s play” compared to what’s to come.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer brushed off Mcconnell’s remarks as a “diversion” and said he hopes to work with Republicans on upcoming bills but said all options for filibuster changes are on the table.
Senate Democrats are talking privately about changing the decades-old rules for the filibuster, which allows a single senator to block a bill by objecting.
In earlier eras, senators would seize the floor, speaking for hours about their objections, as was done in the Hollywood movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” They also used it to stall civil rights legislation in the middle of the 20th century.
Supporters of the process say it protects the rights of the party not in power, but detractors argue it is being used to block popular bills.
It takes 51 votes to change the Senate rules and do away with the filibuster, and Democrats do not appear to have support from within their ranks to do so, even with Vice President Kamala Harris serving as the tiebreaker.
At least two Democratic senators, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, have signaled their objections, but there may be more.
Biden’s preference is “not to make changes” in the Senate filibuster rules, press secretary Jen Psaki said at the White House. But she added, “He is also open to hearing ideas and those discussions will happen in Congress.”